


The cerulean bird and the emerald deer

by Resplendence



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: AU, F/M, Hunger Games AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-21
Updated: 2014-01-22
Packaged: 2018-01-05 10:04:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1092609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Resplendence/pseuds/Resplendence
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Hunger Games Larry AU) </p><p>Louis Tomlinson is an 18 year old boy who hunts in the forests that the ghost of Katniss Everdeen supposedly haunts, Harold Styles is a 16 year old boy who works in the enormous pine forests of District 7. Following the failed rebellion of Katniss Everdeen, the districts went back to normal... but no-one knew what would happen come reaping day. The two tributes were required as normal but these Games were the ones where you hoped the odds would be in your favor. </p><p>This is the story of the innocent bluebird trying desperately to protect his meek harmless deer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Pt 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya everyone, first time author alert. Hahaa yeah so if you've taken the time to read this then I love you. Hahaa and if you could leave Kudos or Comments I would love you even more. Yeah so enjoy. Also this takes place in the summer after the rebellion. (So rebellion failed in spring and the new Hunger Games is summer). Sorry for the shitty banner aswell hahaa I was really tired. Also I will try and start off every chapter with a sonnet, if that's not your thing then you can just skip past it.
> 
> (Rated Explicit for later chapters... probably)

 

A man so stuck in jokes and schemes,

Will join the board to play the part,

To play the game and so it seems,

Is where the story shall do start,

 

In this ill misleading place,

His hair and face will charm the eyes,

Dressed in cloth and silk and lace,

The capitol a nest of lies,

 

Boys and girls do dread the day,

When their name is called aloud,

No time now to sing and play,

You have to entertain the crowd,

 

**Hunger Games now here to savor,**

**The odds be ever in your favor.**

 

__

_***-Louis P.O.V-*** _

 

The yellow summer sun beat down onto the crass green on the moss, clashing with the light blue of the water cascading down the cobalt rocks and the purple of the intricate flowers swaying in the cold grey wind; None of the colours of the magnificent forest bothered Louis, they all faded into the one thing he cared about. The hunt.

He was running through the trail swatting leaves and branches like they were the annoying flies that wondered into the wooden shack that his family called a home, District 12 wasn’t renowned for its building capabilities but he lived with 4 sisters and his mother and he was practically the only source of income. Louis wanted desperately to move out, but he couldn’t leave his mother to fend for herself and 4 children.

And with the reaping coming up, maybe she wouldn’t have to.

He reached the clearing but slinked behind one of the larger bushes just in case any peacekeepers where creeping around, they never went past the gate but Louis can remember what happened to the last person who got caught. In fact Louis can’t forget. Lucas Galloway was only a young boy when he was caught, by the time he was let out he was a man. He had scars the size of Daisy and Phoebe running down parallel to his spine, he didn’t talk which Louis had mistaken for PTSD but on closer inspection Louis realized that the reason Lucas didn’t talk was because he had no tongue to use… Louis had heard the myths about Avoxes and the punishments inflicted upon the prisoners of the Capitol. One tongue removed and six scars inflicted, not all of them physical. All for poaching a squirrel.

No. Louis knew it wasn’t worth the risk, but although Louis hunted to feed his family for him it was all about the chase. His thoughts were interrupted by the pain-ridden cry of an animal to his far right. He sprinted as fast as he could, caught in the trap he had laid out was a medium sized bird with the brightest cerulean eyes not quite unlike his own. It’s cries were soft and pained Louis took pity on the bird and let it go, the bird doubled back and stopped just in front of his face it gave him a pitied look but it flew away before Louis could grab It and snap it’s neck. ‘How dare a bird laugh at me’ he thought, he threw a rock and a glare to the direction of the bird before running after it. He could catch it if he ran fast enough. He ran, ran and ran. Swatting branches like flies, jumping upturned roots the size of small hurdles in the unkempt forest of District 12. He could hear the bird singing. ‘Such a sweet birdsong for such an insolent creature’ he sprinted to the right following the luring siren call of the avian rodent. He knew the forest well. He had ran through these forests all of his life however then he had ran with dad. He would run faster than any hare or bird, he would sprint and leap and glide from lake to fence and back again and when he fell down his dad would be there to pick him back up.

He was nearing the brook, t’s fast flowing waters being supplied by the Coal Mountains of District 12, Louis would swim with Lottie when he was younger, they would find a nice bend in the stream and he would teach Lottie how to tread water. That’s something that not a lot of the civilians of District 12 could do. The river was in plain sight now, there was a ledge which he could use to fling himself to the other side on and the birdsong was getting further away from him. He sprinted as fast as he could and as he came into the clearing he put both hands on the slate and vaulted into the air. And in that moment and moments to come he was a bird in flight and as all birds shall fly some birds shall fall and Louis’ wings were clipped as he plummeted into the freezing, roaring water.

He awoke to a giggle from behind. ‘Is it a peacekeeper’ he thought worried, ‘No If a peacekeeper had found me I wouldn’t be alive’ he rolled over still sopping to see a deer staring at him credulously. He looked at Louis straight in the eye and laughed. However this laugh was not of the piteous nature like the birds solemn stare this was a heart-warming laugh of true happiness and bliss. It wasn’t an abnormally large deer but its fur was a dark brown and his eyes were a piercing, resplendent emerald. Something about the deer seemed oddly alluring but not in the conventional sense. Almost like it was emitting a wave that just connected to his and suddenly nothing seemed to matter anymore. It kept eye contact with him as it circled. It had the look of a young deer, spry and lean. A normal deer wouldn’t have been able to pull him out of a fast flowing river and a normal deer certainly wouldn’t still be standing here making eye contact with him.

The deer opened its mouth and spoke;

“Louis’ get up” the deer spoke with a girlish voice.

Louis looked around him, the wind was a harsh white in contrast to the flowers wilting and failing, cobalt stones were turning black and the water had slowed to the point of immobilization and the bright green of the moss and the soft yellow of the summer sun were nothing but memories replaced by a dull, blunt, murky shadow looming over Louis and washing over his subconscious.

“Louis it’s reaping day. You seriously need to get up” the now obvious voice of his sister Lottie reverberated through his ears.

And Louis did so with the thought of a resplendent green-eyed deer.


	2. Prologue: Pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Hunger Games Larry AU)
> 
> Louis Tomlinson is an 18 year old boy who hunts in the forests that the ghost of Katniss Everdeen supposedly haunts, Harold Styles is a 16 year old boy who works in the enormous pine forests of District 7. Following the failed rebellion of Katniss Everdeen, the districts went back to normal... but no-one knew what would happen come reaping day. The two tributes were required as normal but these Games were the ones where you hoped the odds would be in your favor.
> 
> This is the story of the innocent bluebird trying desperately to protect his meek harmless deer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya again. It's a quick update over Christmas break, I'll probably try and update once every two days. Also fyi I am English so yeah sorry for any language errors and whatnot.

With chocolate hair and emerald eyes,

The axe swings free against the wood,

His eyes glance up to the green skies,

The leaves cover his if’s and would,

 

Not many jobs for District Seven,

The lives of these were quite mundane,

Chopping trees that reach high heaven,

The smell of pine does numb your brain,

 

But pine can you bring you back to earth,

When normal life drives you mad,

For sitting down near the warm hearth,

Can make your inside cold and sad,

 

**When the norm and mundane seem forever,**

**Look forward, see how much you can endeavour.**

** **

 

**-*Harry P.O.V*-**

Harry hacked at the tree until it was near toppling;

“Heads” he shouted as he delivered the finishing blow. The tree fell down with a cacophonous crash. Dust rose from the woodland floor in a case around the fallen tree; this pine was about 3 foot in diameter and probably about 150 years old.  The sap of the pine tree filled the air with a familiar scent. He breathed it and sighed as he walked lazily over to the next tree, he repeated this action for the next 45 minutes until the inevitable happened and the forest heard the fall of a mighty pine once more.

Caroline’s annoying shrieking voice rang through the once more silent forest.

“Lunch break everyone!” She said and the pit-pat of footsteps came in from all directions, everyone looked forward to a respite from the gruelling work that was chopping down the gigantic pines of District 7. He made his way to the clearing and sat down with Caroline. Although she was annoying and her voice was extremely begrudging. She was a good friend. See Harry didn’t have many friends. He was sociable and chatty, nobody could argue that but he preferred to chat to his close friends and get the work done.

He had already filled the quota for today but he liked to get the extra bit of money if it meant that Gemma didn’t have to work a shift at the factory. Although Harry was the younger then Gemma he always liked to get her away from the god awful job at the factory. The size of the splinters that she had when she came home, he shuddered at the thought however his attention was brought back to Caroline’s mindless drivel;

“So like what do you think, Haz?” She asked sweetly

“Huh” he replied earnestly

“Would you like to go out after the reaping?” She asked, her eyelashes convulsing in a way that was probably supposed to look endearing but just made her look stupid.

“Like a date?” He said, gulping as he did

“Yes silly!” She said with a hint of confusion as if her confidence in his answer was starting to waver.

“Ummmm” He murmured trying to change the subject.

Luckily another one of his friends: Nick approached them. Fortunately Nick was one of the ‘friends’ Harry actually liked.

“So I had the weirdest dream last night” He cut in just as Caroline was going to ask Harry for an answer.

“So did I actually” Harry said as they both looked up “Go ahead, you first” Harry prompted, wanting any excuse to get away from the date that  Harry was trying so desperately to avoid

“Well I was just walking down the street and everyone turned into Caroline” He said his voice void of emotion.

“That’s it. That’s the whole story” Caroline urged as Harry let out a giggle.

“Yeah…” he paused for a few seconds before turning to Harry “What about you Hazza, what was your dream?”

“Well…” He started “I was walking through a forest, it wasn’t one I recognised… it was weird seeing a forest that wasn’t made up of pine trees but as I was walking I could hear rushing water, so I made my way through an undergrowth only to find a small tributary about 9 feet wide which had probably branched off of the main river upstream but anyway caught in the midst of it was a small bluebird caught up against a small log. I ran over to it and leaned over the river using the deadwood as support as I picked up the bird and cupped it in my hands. It was so small and delicate and I walked back across the shore and I laid him on the bank of the river and I sat down for a while. I don’t know how long I was sat there, probably hours just waiting for this little blue bird to wake up and eventually it did. It propped itself up and stared at me like it didn’t trust me. I laughed at the obscurity of the situation. I mean I was trying to communicate to a little blue bird.  And then it started to circle me. So I retorted in kind. As I opened my mouth to speak the walls of my dream started to fade.”

“That’s deep man” Nick said, his usual level of wit now dulled with deep thinking.

“Alright well thanks for the philosophical thoughts guys but I have a reaping to attend and you two do too! Also I’m looking forward to this date” She said twirling and sashaying her hips in a last half-ditch attempt to get Harry to say yes.

“Yeah I should probably go too!” He said laughing as he did, he then got up and left.

‘Time to go’ Harry thought to himself as he walked back to the equipment shed. ‘That cerulean bird’ he thought as he hung up his axe and his tool belt.

‘That beautiful cerulean bird’.

The long walk home gave him time to recollect his thoughts.

‘Today is Reaping day. C’mon Harry you’ve only got two left, you can get through this. You’re names only in there 13 times. It’s not bad at all… hahaa. But suppose you do get picked. What will happen to Mum and Gemma, no I can’t think like that. If I get picked then I’ll win and I’ll be back and I’ll take care of them with the money I get; but just as a back-up. If I do get picked and I don’t make it back then I suppose I would have to get Caroline or Nick to take care of them. Mum prefers Nick anyway’ He said laughing, it seemed like everyone hated Caroline.

‘If I get picked then I’ll win. I’ll win for them’ 


	3. Chapter 1: A slip of fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Hunger Games Larry AU)
> 
> Louis Tomlinson is an 18 year old boy who hunts in the forests that the ghost of Katniss Everdeen supposedly haunts, Harold Styles is a 16 year old boy who works in the enormous pine forests of District 7. Following the failed rebellion of Katniss Everdeen, the districts went back to normal... but no-one knew what would happen come reaping day. The two tributes were required as normal but these Games were the ones where you hoped the odds would be in your favor.
> 
> This is the story of the innocent bluebird trying desperately to protect his meek harmless deer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya so I was wondering if I should do the story all from Louis' P.O.V? I have a good Idea of where the story will end I'm just not sure how to get there, hahaa yeah so comment and all that and if I should then I will delete the Harry chapter. Also I have no Beta-er so there may be some mistakes...

Blue eyes can pierce the mighty void,  
Where life without his family lie,  
He stands there with his hope destroyed,  
You see it in his bright blue eye,

For boys who have a broken home,  
Growing up an arduous task,  
To discipline their hearts to stone,   
Their joyful faces cleverly masked, 

For if he places trust in you,   
You surely cannot keep his trust,  
For young boys who make friends anew,   
Will never end up good and just,

For joy and love cannot be shown,  
For little boys without a home, 

*-Louis P.O.V-*

Louis sat on his bed wide-eyed. He got up and put a cotton t-shirt and trousers on, he sneaked out the door past the twins sleeping on their little bed in the living room near the near extinguished fire, only a small ghost of flame remained, a small flame and a lot of ash. 

He walked down to the river that coursed down the outskirts of the ‘seam’, he walked bucket in hand until he reached the bank. He outstretched the poorly crafted wooden bucket to the river. He stayed in that position for the next minute until he heard a rustling in the bush to his left. He turned his head back and shrugged. It’s not like he wasn’t allowed to take the water, but if a peacekeeper found him he would have been beaten; it wouldn’t have been his first…   
His thoughts were interrupted by an unrecognizable voice. 

“What are you doing here?” spoke an obviously put-on gruff low voice as a cold metal object, probably a gun was pressed to his head.  
He waited for a split second and then he clocked what was going on.

“Well Eleanor, I was wondering the same about you” He replied turning around to see the girl with a blunt piece of metal piping pressed to his face.

Everyone knew Eleanor. Everyone knew her chocolate hair and her piercing eyes. Everyone knew her sense of humour and everyone knew when and where to laugh. Everyone knew her voice and her style and not just because she was the mayor’s daughter but because in short, Eleanor was flawless. 

She jabbed him in the nose before laughing as she raised the rusty pipe onto her shoulders and slumped her weight onto her left hip and smiled a smile that could charm anyone. Anyone but Louis. He knew what Eleanor was capable of. She was not the innocent flower but the viper beneath it, Louis had read that in a book by some Shake-the-spear person. She put on a pretty façade but he knew all too well what someone could do with a smile like that. She was manipulative, vindictive and downright vain. So in short, everything that he was. When he hunted he used traps and snares and that relied on his instinct and ability to lure and lull his target into a false sense of security and Eleanor could do that just be smiling. Eleanor seemed to notice his furrowed brows and his unblinking eyes. 

“Well I have to go see dad for mayor-y stuff” She said and flicked her chocolate hair and strutted away. It’s just sad that Louis really wasn’t interested, ‘We would have made a cute couple if you know it wasn’t for the- anyway’ he thought as he grabbed his bucket and started the 10 minute journey home. 

“Today is the reaping” his mother had spoken to him sternly the other day “You must be presentable”. He didn’t know why she had such a strong moral upstanding for the Games. “If my child’s name was in that bowl 28 times then I would be weeping on the floor” he thought, but Jay had to be strong for everyone; as one of the only school teachers in the district she would see one of the children she had cherished and spent her years teaching them die in the games. It would happen every year and every year she became more cold and unflinching when the name was called. 

None of her stern looks or calculated questioning could stop the bullies though. He was bullied all the way through high school but he was past that now. His bullies lived on the outskirts of the seam where the poorest people lived but due to his mother’s job and his hunting abilities they had been able to move into the richer area of the seam nearest to the town centre but when he had no game or Jay was sick Louis would have to put his name in. He would rather raise his risk of death then let his family go hungry, even if it was a small amount of grain. 28 small amounts of grain later and he was content, 28 slips was bad for his more affluent area but on the outskirts of the seam people had put their names in more than double his amount. 

He approached the travesty of a house and opened the creaking door to see his mother cooking the bread that they would eat for breakfast. He often forgets what time he gets up. 

“What took you so long?” She asked but not in the interrogative sense but rather sweet caring sense

“I met Eleanor down by the stream” he said smiling 

“The mayor’s daughter? The little one with the fake smile?” She said smiling. Louis was glad he wasn’t the only observant person in District 12.

“Yeah that one” he said, disinterested in the river girl “Here’s the water for the bath” he said outstretching the pale.

“Thanks hun, do you mind if Lottie goes first? It is her first one after all?” she asked, he didn’t need to ask that the ‘one’ she was referring to was in fact a reaping. 

“Not at all” he said as he heard a scream from upstairs. He sprinted up the stairs two at a time and darted around the corner Into Lottie’s room. He jumped on the bed and he ran his finger through her hair in an attempt to calm her. She screamed unintelligibly and he looked at her straight in the as he spoke with a panicked voice. 

“Lottie hun. I need you to think, uh- think of the- um- think of when dad took us down to the woods and we- um- we jumped across that huge river and you scraped about your knee but you laughed about it anyway, think of when he had to jump across to come and get us and he shouted at us for being reckless but it didn’t matter because he was laughing and we were laughing and everything was great. Lottie I need- I need you to remember” He said and she stopped. She broke eye contact with him and started to breathe again. Lottie didn’t normally get panic attacks, but when she did she got them bad. 

He stayed with her until his mother pried her away for her bath. He stayed on her bed as he cursed the Capitol for what they’ve done to his family. They reduced his kind mother to an unflinching, wounded lion. They in part killed his dad in a coal tunnel collapse and the Capitol barely even used coal and now they’ve killed the sweet kind girl that his sister used to be to a snivelling wreck. Those crimes would not be forgiv- 

“Louis! It’s time for your bath” His mum called from downstairs. He trudged down the stairs and into the bath room, taking off his dirty cotton t-shirt and trousers and his loose grey boxers as he lowered himself into the cold bath. Earlier in the week he had traded 2 pigeons for a bar of soap ‘All to look presentable at the reaping’ he thought as he lowered himself into the icy water. Louis guessed that Lottie had used some of the soap as some of her hair was on the soap but that didn’t matter to Louis. He scrubbed down his body letting the water cleanse and relax his muscles. He wasn’t particularly muscly but running around a forest and hunting animals all day did mean that he wasn’t a complete sap. He had spent enough time in the bath as it was. He walked up to his room shouting an all clear to everyone in the rooms, however his loud shout arose Fizz, Daisy and Phoebe aswell. He walked into his room to see a pale blue button down shirt and a pair of denim jeans. ‘Dads’ he thought. Denim was extremely rare for the poorer districts so he put it on proudly as he rolled up the sleeves of the blue shirt and he tucked it in to his blue jeans.

His mother had gone out early to help out at the set-up of the reaping he walked downstairs and checked the time on the nearly-broken clock. ‘Shit!’ he thought ‘We’re late’ he said as he called Lottie from upstairs. She came down in an aqua blue knee length pleated dress that tightened in around the waist. Fizz and the twins came down the stairs behind her. He kissed each of them on the forehead. 

“Please don’t go Lou” Fizz had said as had kissed her. The twins said nothing, they just stood there sobbing. Even his 4 year-old sisters knew the horrors that would await him if he was picked. 

He took one last look at them as he and Lottie walked out of the door. ‘We’re so late’ he thought.

“C’mon Lottie we have to run” He said as he started to jog.

She huffed but eventually she started to run with him. They ran for about 10 minutes before reaching the town centre. He pointed Lottie to her registration table as he walked to his. He held out as his hand as the harsh women took his blood. He met up with Lottie again as they walked to the arches that led to the town square. Two peacekeepers stood side-by-side. 

“You’re late” He said to them “Both tributes have already been picked” He gave Lottie a filthy look, he replied in kind. 

“Wait so we can go home?” He asked hopefully.

“You’re going to need to go in any way for the register, sorry” The other one said genuinely “Name?” 

“Um- Louis Tomlinson” He said relieved that both tributes had already been picked. 

“I’m so sorry” The kind one said as he parted the way. 

“Unlucky for you mate” The ugly one said as he parted the way.

His relief faded as quickly as it had been gained as he slowly walked into the square. It was busy with people. At once he knew. He knew by the way that everyone had turned to look at him. 28 to a thousand. Those were his odds and somehow this time they weren’t in his favour. The crowd of boys and girls looked at him pitifully as they parted the way. He could hear the sniggering of the bullies to his right. He could hear his mum crying to left as her workmates and friends cradled and calmed her. But the sound that stood out the most was Lottie’s pained screeching behind him. It was getting louder as he felt her hands wrap around him. He lent down in front of her and whispered into her ear. 

“I’m so sorry”

He pushed her away as she was grabbed by peacekeepers. The silence was pounding in his ears. He walked slowly up the newly formed aisle. He took each step carefully making sure not to overbalance. He raised his chin as the tears started to flow onto his blue jeans. He looked back at Lottie, who was sitting on the floor having a panic attack, he wanted so desperately to run over to her and tell her to remember and to relax but he knew he couldn’t and so he let his mum handle this one as he watched his mum embrace the quivering girl on the floor. He walked up the stairs near to the man with the fluorescent hair now identified as Paul. 

The man looked stunned as he wiped away a tear and he ran his fingers through his hair. Louis looked beside him to see the female tribute. It was none other than Eleanor Calder, the mayor’s daughter. He was so caught up in his own drama that he didn’t even think about the female tribute. He could hear Paul speaking about the rebellion and about the bravery of our tributes. He ushered towards us and we shook hands. Eleanor looked flawless as always. Some might say she even looked content. Like it was always her destiny to be here.

He was scared, he would admit that. But as his father had once told him.   
“A scared animal is twice as dangerous.” And he was a scared animal. A small, scared, dangerous little bluebird.


	4. Camera Shy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Hunger Games Larry AU)
> 
> Louis Tomlinson is an 18 year old boy who hunts in the forests that the ghost of Katniss Everdeen supposedly haunts, Harold Styles is a 16 year old boy who works in the enormous pine forests of District 7. Following the failed rebellion of Katniss Everdeen, the districts went back to normal... but no-one knew what would happen come reaping day. The two tributes were required as normal but these Games were the ones where you hoped the odds would be in your favor.
> 
> This is the story of the innocent bluebird trying desperately to protect his meek harmless deer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya guys, sorry it took so long. Christmas and shit happened and yeah so anyway here's a chapter for you all. Hahaa I know it doesn't really compensate but anyway I am going to do the whole story from Louis' perspective mostly because I know I'm going to get confused between the two narratives. Also FYI Jabber is like the Capitols version of Twitter and also I thought I'd put in some extra interviews so now the family get interviewed and there is like a small featurette on the train.... anyway enjoy.

*-Louis P.O.V-* 

Six peacekeepers escorted him and Eleanor to the waiting room. Six. Louis was strong for his age but even he couldn’t take down six peacekeepers. He walked through the hallowed halls of the Justice building. He used to play down these halls with Eleanor, tag and hide and seek or anything that suited them, how different it is now. They walked in silence, not wanting to ruin the perfect silence that they had managed to facilitate. Eleanor’s waiting room was the first room that they came to and so she waved Louis off, still not saying a word. 

Louis carried on walking before arriving at his room. It was plain enough, probably just a standard office. He sat down on the spinny chair and spun himself around in a childish manner in a desperate attempt to get rid of the awful thoughts lining his head but to no avail for the thoughts that lined his head were thoughts of Phoebe and Daisy, thoughts of Lottie and Fizz and of his mother. Even of the emerald eyed deer who gave him solace from his depressing thoughts. 

“I need to plan” he thought “First I need to think of an angle. Am I mysterious or funny? Am I cold or bubbly? Am I myself or a fake? The first interviews are normally on the train ride. It’s normally a quick five minute featurette on each tribute but knowing the Capitol they probably have the whole thing scripted. Just as they’ll script all the family’s interviews” He thought as he stood up and stretched. 

He looked out the window. Two floors. That would end it. But he couldn’t. Partly because Louis is too much of a chicken to top himself but he couldn’t do that to his family. They need him more than he needs him. So he has to be there. Not for him but for them. So he has to win. Even if it means letting go of his sanity. He’ll win. 

His thoughts were interrupted by his family walking quietly into the room. Their eyes betraying them. They were all on the verge of crying. Louis was too. Jay pulled them all into a group hug before pulling him aside.

“I’ve already told the girls what to say for the family interviews. Don’t worry your hunting secret is safe with us. The girls already knew what to say” She said laughing “You’ve done so much for us Louis. I don’t think I’ve ever properly thanked you” She paused before a single tear rolled down her cheek 

“I love you dear”

Fizz was next, she said nothing just pulled him into a tight embrace and it took all three of the other siblings to pry her away from him. Daisy and Phoebe were too young to properly understand, they all asked him questions like “Who you gonna kill” and “Where you going on holiday”

“Bless them” he thought.

Lottie was last. She would be the hardest. He took her to the side and told her all about where he planted his traps and where his bow and quiver were hidden and then he told her about how much he loved her and in turn she told him about how he had to win and that when he came home she would bring him game and make him hardcakes.   
That was the thing that set him off. 

“Times up” rang the loud voice from the doorway and immediately everyone’s heads turned to see the 6 peacekeepers at the doorway. 3 escorted his family away whilst the other 3 took him the other way towards the back of the Justice Building and to the station and as he looked back to the hall he saw his family getting ripped away from him and that killed him.

The train that he had expected was not the train he was presented with but growing up Louis had only seen old rusty steam powered locomotives. This however was the opposite. New, shiny and downright awesome was the only way to describe the silver slick look of this vehicle in front of him. And as soon as he stepped onto the train he was bombarded with people. He quickly met his prep team, but he didn’t bother with their names. Paul (Who was apparently his ‘escort’) was frantically ordering people carrying flowers and ornaments around and Eleanor was sitting poised and ready for her interview. 

Eleanor didn’t really have many family nor friends but she had plenty of wannabes and admirers so her goodbyes wouldn’t have taken as long, hence her interview ready hair and her perfect make-up. She was dressed in a dark blue dress with a black belt and black tights but even through the tights he could see that her legs had been waxed and moisturised. “Great” he thought, the last thing he wanted when fighting off a manly Career was shaven and feminine legs. 

Nevertheless he was lead to a small cubicle where he was laid down onto a metal table. Immediately the prep team got to work, cutting and clipping and shaving and waxing and a load of other things. They started with his legs and worked their way up. He listened in to hear the gossiping whispers of his prep team; “Do you remember the last one? His toenails were longer then your finger nails. That’s saying something.” He said adding a scoff “At least this one’s relatively well kept”.

They waxed his legs, arms and chest before trimming his arm pit hair and shaving his beard. They then dyed his hair a lighter caramel shade of brown before standing him up and leading him to his stylist. The room was simple enough, it looked like the walk in wardrobes of District 1, sitting at the desk in the middle of the room was a women. She stood up to shake his hand, he didn’t offer it back. She nodded before starting her narcissistic droning telling of how it was her artistic genius that would make him look good. 

“I’m sorry” she said genuinely. Well that wasn’t the opening he expected. “I’m Lou and it’s my job to make you look good” and there it was “but it’s not because of me, okay so admittedly I do get a fat paycheck” Honesty, Louis liked that “But the way I see it, you’re going into a war zone and I want to do anything I can to make you coming out a possibility!”   
She said with a smile.   
He smiled back out of reflex. 

“So” she started “What’s your angle kid?” 

“My what?” he replied 

“You know, your angle? Are you mysterious? Confident? Vain? You know what I mean”. 

He replied with silence.

“Kid you’re really going to need an angle, kids from the Career districts have had a lifetime to prepare their interview technique, and you have a grand total of 5 minutes” She said impatiently 

“I can play a crowd” He said before reverting back to silence. 

“Explain” She said to the point. 

“I can play the brooding teen or the bubbly child, I play to what the crowd like” He says.

“That’s good but I need you to be specific, now judging from your stature and your answers I’m gonna say that your default personality is defensive, it’s cautious. You don’t open up easily but when you do it’s hard to stop. So I need you to play it like that. Be blunt, mysterious and brooding but then fall into your own personality. I’m going to ask you to be yourself” she said laughing.

He laughed too, but not because she was funny but because he had no default personality. He was different with every person he met. His thoughts were interrupted by an outfit bag being held up by Lou. She unzipped it slowly to reveal a tight blue and white stripey t-shirt with light blue skinny jeans and black braces. He liked it and he realized that he was starting to like Lou aswell, she reminded him of his mother. He quickly got dressed and walked through to the central carriage of the train. 

He was thrust down onto the couch by a tanned woman with an orange afro; “You need to fucking relax” said the strange woman “I’m only asking a couple of questions” she said rudely as she ushered the prep team forward to apply the last minute make-up. A couple of minutes later the prep team slinked away before he heard the unfamiliar call of 5... 4... 3... 2... 1… and the lights were up.

“So Louis how are you today?” said the woman with a new found bubbliness. He was still as stone. He didn’t bother saying anything.

“Louis” she said with a hint of worry. 

He looked at her and flashed his biggest shit-eating grin. 

“I’m bloody fantastic” He said still holding the smile 

“Hahaa that’s good” She said obviously relieved “So tell me a bit about yourself Louis” 

“Well I’m 17 and my life is pretty boring, to be totally honest haha” He said chuckling

“Oh come on, how’s life with 5 women” She said with a wink “But watch what you say” 

“Hahaa it’s good actually well, being the oldest boy is always fun especially when you bring back all your dates and your little sisters question them until they wish they had never agreed to a ‘family dinner’” 

“Hahaa so tell me about these dates, any cute girls back home” 

“Not exactly”

“A BOY?!?” She asked with a gasp. 

“Yup” he said with a shrug 

“TELL. TELL. TELL.” She said before being interrupted by the national anthem playing “Well it seems that’s all folks, how did you feel about our first homosexual tribute? Tell us by Jabbing us on our Jabber page” She says to the multitude of cameras with a wink. 

Suddenly the woman stood up with a start and turned to him; “I thought wrong about you… you know exactly how to play a crowd” she said smiling. 

That he did.


End file.
